Improvement in torpedoes for oil-wells



A. HAMAR,

Torpedoes for Oil Wells.

NO. 137,198, PatentedMarch25J873.

[ZZZ/6721107:

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALEXANDER HAMAR, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN TORPEDOES FOFQ OIL-WELL$.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 13?,193, dated March 25, 1873.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALEXANDER HAMAR, of N o. 524, Walnut street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, have invented an Improved Torpedo, specially adapted for use in artesian, oil, or salt wells, of which improvement the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, in which- Figure 1 represents a vertical central longitudinal section through the torpedo; Fig. 2, a view of the breechpiece; and Fig. 3, a view of the plunger.

My invention relates to torpedoes of that class in which the charge is exploded by a percussion-cartridge, ignited by a plunger; its objects are, first, positively to ignite the charge; secondly, to increase the violence of the combustion by supplying oxygen to the charge; thirdly, to use materials of much greater explosive force than gunpowder; and fourthly, to be able to use such highly-explosive materials with safety.

To these ends I construct a torpedo with a chamber for compressed air; chambers to contain substances which are harmless when kept separate, but highly explosive when mixed together; a cartridge loaded with a projectile, and a plunger to fire the cartridge so that the explosion may cause the projectile to shatter the casings, commingle the chemicals,'and cause an explosion.

The subject-matter claimed is hereinafter specified.

The torpedo-casin g A is, by preference, made cylindrical and tubular, each end being closed by a screw-plug, B G. The lower plug is provided with a valve, b, through which air may be forced into an annular compression-chamber, D, to supply oxygen to support the combustion of the explosive materials. I do not, however, broadly claim such a chamber under this application, as it is shown in Letters Patent N 0. 128,222, granted to me June 22, 1872. Within this chamber is contained another chamber, E, made of tin or some substance easily ruptured by a projectile, but strong enough to resist accidental shocks. This chamber incloses still another chamber, F, both being secured to the upper plug 0. The outer chargechamber may contain sodium in liquid form, and the inner one spirits of turpentine. These substances are harmless when separate, but violently explosive when min gled together. Other substances which will explode under similar conditions may be used, such substances being well-known to chemists. Upon the plug (J is secured a short barrel, O, which contains a chamber to receive a percussion-cartridge loaded with a ball, as usual in small-arm cartridges. To prevent the recoil of the charge when fired I clamp a breech-piece, G, on the top of the barrel by screw-bolts g, or other suitable clamps, strong enough to resist the explosion of the cartridge. The charge is fired by means of a plunger, H, guided in its descent by a rod or wire, '5, attached to the breech-piece, by which means both the plunger and breech-piece may be withdrawn after the explosion, if the connection remains unsevered. I, by preference,

form the plunger with a sharp point, or with a chisel edge, letting it strike through a slit in the breech-piece, so as to prevent the m1) ture of the cartridge-shell by the explosion of its charge.

In operation the plunger fires the charge, and the bullet ruptures the casing, causing the two explosive substances to mingle and detonate with great violence.

The projectile might, by the means de scribed, be fired into a single chamber con taining nitro-glycerine, which would be ignit ed byt-hepercussion; but Iprefer to use chem icals which do not explode until united.

I claim- 1. In a torpedo, the combination of separate charge-chambers, containing substances ex= plosive only when commingled, and a car tridge-chamber, the projectile from which, when fired, ruptures the walls of the chargechambers, commingles the substances therein contained and produces an explosion, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination, in atorpedo, of a cartridge carrying a projectile, a separatecharge chamber, and a compressed airchamber to supply oxygen to the explosive substances, substantially as set forth.

I testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name.

A. HAMAR.

Witnesses:

J 0s. '1. K. PLANT, J. TYLER POWELL. 

